Insulating means and extension for ball-type chains



G. F. BAHR 2,857,454

INSULATING MEANS AND EXTENSION FOR BALL-TYPE CHAINS Oct. 21, 1958 Filed May '7, 1954 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\I\io 3.. H 1 F a INVENTOR. Gaszaw F. Bah/ BY ATTORNEYS 2,857,454 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 fire INSULATING MEANS AND EXTENSION FUR BALL-TYPE CHAINS Gustave F. Bahr, Fairficld, Conn., assiguor to The Bead Chain Manufacturing Company, Bridgeport, "Conn", a corporation of Connecticut Application May 7, 1954, Serial No. 428,339

Claims. (Cl. 174-438) This invention relates to insulating means and insulating extension for use with metallic, ball-type pull chains as commonly employed in connection with electric switches, sockets and other fixtures.

In the past it has been found necessary from a safety standpoint to provide an insulated chain section on metallic ball-type pull chains of switches, sockets and the like in order to insure isolation of the current carrying portions and circuits of the device from the user. Such insulation is particularly important in bathrooms, lavatories and locations near sinks, etc., where there is a likelihood of the user simultaneously touching the pull chain and a water pipe connection or a bowl or tub of water, since such contact increases greatly the severity of the shock and might prove fatal.

Various devices have been proposed and produced to provide an effective insulation of adjoining sections of metallic, ball-type chain. Some of these have involved additional, specially formed parts, and others have been liable tobreakage or mechanical failure if subjected to rough usage.

These disadvantages and drawbacks of prior chaininsulating devices have been obviated by the present invention, and an object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified insulating means and insulating extension for use with metallic, ball-type chains, which is extremely simple and economical to fabricate, is sturdy and reliable even though subjected to rough usage, and which has an unusually neat and unobtrusive appearance.

A feature of the insulating means of this invention resides in the provision of a single or one-piece, integral insulating member which is cooperable with existing balltype chain parts or fittings to provide either the insulating means or the insulating extension, said member thus not requiring additional, specially designed and fabricated parts which necessitate special or extra tools.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated herein. In one embodiment the insulating member comprises a solid, elongate link of tough and durable plastic insulation such as nylon, said link having a main or body portion of appreciable thickness substantially of the same order as the existing balls or couplings of ball-type chains. At its ends the link has neck portions of reduced cross section, carrying enlargements or heads adapted to be received and held captive in the sockets of the standard chain coupling. Also, the enlargements or heads may be contained and held captive in enlarged balls which are commonly provided as stops or termini at the ends of metallic, ball-type chain sections.

By the provision and use of such an insulating link I provide several new articles of manufacture. One such article, for example, comprises an insulating link of the type described having permanently secured to its end enlargements a pair of standard chain couplings. Such an assembly may be readily interposed in any length of balltype chain by merely severing the chain and attaching the severed ends to the vacant sockets of the couplings of the assemblage.

Another new article of manufacture according to the invention comprises an insulating link as above set forth, having permanently attached to one end a standard chain coupling and having its other end permanently secured to an enlarged ball terminal of a short length of ball-type chain, the remaining terminal of which carries the usual finial.

The insulating link may have a substantially cylindrical body portion, or it may be formed of flat strip stock with a body portion of appreciable width, commensurate with the diameter of a chain coupling.

In another embodiment of the invention the single unitary or one-piece insulating link is in the form of a coupling having an elongate, box-like shape with rounded ends and one open side. Side openings or slits are provided whereby the terminal balls of chain sections may be attached to and held captive in the insulating coupling.

In each instance the insulating means is characterized by a single unitary or integral insulating member so A constituted and arranged that its ends may be readily quickly fastened to sections of beaded chains or to the usual fittings or termini already in existence.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of an insulating balltype chain extension as provided by the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section showing details of the insulating link and standard metal fittings or parts attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the insulating link employed in the devices of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of an insulating assembly comprising the insulating link of Fig. 3 and two balltype chain couplings permanently secured to the link.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an insulating link illustrating a modification of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another form of insulating link provided by the invention, functioning as a coupling for two chain sections.

Fig. 7 is a view partly in elevation and partly in axial section showing the insulating link of Fig. 6 connected to two ball-type chain sections.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 3, Fig. 1 shows as a new article of manufacture an insulating extension chain made in accordance with the invention and incorporating as a permanent unit a single or unitary, integral insulating link connected with chain fittings of the type already in existence. As shown, the extension comprises a length of ball-type chain 10 having at one end a finial 11 and having at its other end an enlarged connector ball or bead 12 such as is in common use and produced by existing manufacturing equipment and processes. Permanently attached to the enlarged ball or bead 12 is a novel, elongate link 13 of insulating material such as nylon (synthetic fiberforming polymeric amide), and permanently secured to the link 13 is a conventional type of chain fitting, comprising a coupling 14.

The link 13, Figs. 2 and 3, has an elongate body portion 15 of generally cylindrical shape with rounded ends or radii 16. At the ends of the body portion 15 there are neck portions 17 of reduced cross section or diameter, and carried by the neck portions 17 are hemispherical enlargements or heads 18. The link 13 is at one end permanently attached to the enlarged bead 12 by a machine process well known to those skilled in the art, and at ts other end is permanently attached to the coupling 14 in any suitable manner.

prising an assemblage of insulating link 13 and two metallic couplings 14permanently secured to the link 13. This new article of manufacture may be readily applied to an existing metallic, ball-type chain to insulate a section thereof in the following manner: The chain is cut at the desired point, and'the terminal balls at the severed ends are inserted in the vacant sockets of the couplings 14. One chain section will then be insulated from the other by the insulating link 13. It will be noted that the assemblage of 'Fig. 4 comprises a single unitary or one-piece insulating link 13 attached to two existing chain fittings in the form of the couplings 14. No special parts or special tools are required besides the link 13, in forming the assemblage, the same being true of the article of manufacture shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 a novel insulating link 21 is shown, formed from a flat strip of insulation such as nylon, said link having an elongatebody portion 22 with parallel side edges 23 and rounded corners 24. At the ends of the body portion 22, neck portions 25 are provided, having reduced cross sections and carried by the neck portions are enlargements or head portions 26. The link 21, shown in Fig. 5 may be used in place of the insulating link 13 shown in Figs. 1 through 4 with the same advantages pointed out above.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 wherein a single unitary or one-piece insulating link member is provided for use with existing chain sections, to insulatedly connect the same together, all without requiring special extra parts, or tools for making said parts.

Referring to Fig. 6 the insulating link 27 shown therein comprises an elongate body portion 28 in the form of a box having an open side 29, rounded corners 30 and end walls 31 provided with key-hole slots 32. The coupling 27 may be formed'of molded nylon in any suitable manner and is so arranged as to provide sockets for receiving end balls 33 of ball-type chain sections 34 as shown in Fig. 77 The chain sections 34 will be electrically insulated from each other, this being accomplished by the provision of the single insulating link 27 without requiring extra or special parts or fittings not already in existence. The chain sections 34 obviously may be directly connected to the link 27 and by proper design of the keyhole openings 32 the chain sections will be securely re- 4 tained and prevented from becoming accidentally or inadvertently dislodged from the coupling.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an insulating section to be interposed in a length of ball-type chain to become a part of the chain comprising a one-piece elongate link of insulating material having a body portion, a neck of reduced cross-section adjacent each end and a head attached to each neck, said link being formed to simulate a portion of a ball, a link and an adjacent portion of the next ball of a ball chain; an elongate metal coupling having rounded ends and a generally cylindrical shape and having an accessible, side-opening socket at each end for receiving an end ball of a chain, one end of the link having its head occupying one end socket of the coupling; and means for attaching the other end of the link to an end of a ball-type chain.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the means consists of another elongate metal coupling having rounded ends and a generally cylindrical shape and having an accessible, side-opening socket at each end for receiving an end ball of'a chain, the other end of the link having its head occupying one end socket of the second-mentioned coupling.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the means consists of a hollow sphere having an opening of a less size than the head and in which the other end of the link has its head positioned within the sphere and the neck portion passing through the opening.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the link has a substantially cylindrical body portion, a substantially circular cross-sectional neck portion and the heads are substantially semi-spherical.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the link is formed from a length of flat material and has a substantially rectangular cross-section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 946,779 Hubbell Jan. 18, 1910 1,113,399 Abbott Oct. 13, 1914 1,148,299 Eade July 27, 1915 1,270,143 Gaynon June 18, 1918 1,406,463 Kuehner' Feb. 14, 1922 1,769,245 Tregonin July 1, 1930 

